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A TLR2 polymorphism is associated with type 1 diabetes and allergic asthma

Genes & Immunity volume 10, pages 181–187 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and allergic asthma are immune-mediated diseases. Pattern recognition receptors are proteins expressed by cells in the immune system to identify microbial pathogens and endogenous ligands. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and CD14 are members of this family and could represent a molecular link between microbial infections and immune-mediated diseases. Diverging hypotheses regarding whether there exists a common or inverse genetic etiology behind these immune-mediated diseases have been presented. We aimed to test whether there exist common or inverse associations between polymorphisms in the pattern recognition receptors TLR2, TLR4 and CD14 and T1D and allergic asthma. Eighteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in TLR2 (2), TLR4 (12) and CD14 (4) in 700 T1D children, 357 nuclear families with T1D children and 796 children from the ‘Environment and Childhood Asthma’ study. Allele and haplotype frequencies were analyzed in relation to diseases and in addition transmission disequilibrium test analyses were performed in the family material. Both T1D and allergic asthma were significantly associated with the TLR2 rs3804100 T allele and further associated with the haplotype including this SNP, possibly representing a susceptibility locus common for the two diseases. Neither TLR4 nor CD14 were associated with T1D or allergic asthma.

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Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by The National Program for Research in Functional Genomics in Norway (FUGE), in The Research Council of Norway, University of Oslo, The Norwegian Diabetes Association, Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, Western Norway Regional Health Authority and University of Bergen. We are grateful to all the children and their parents for participating in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty Division Ullevål University Hospital, Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Oslo, Blindern, Norway

    M Bjørnvold, T Egeland & D E Undlien

  2. Department of Paediatrics, Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    M C Munthe-Kaas, G Joner, K Dahl-Jørgensen, K C L Carlsen & K H Carlsen

  3. Institute of Health Management and Health Economics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    G Joner

  4. Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    K Dahl-Jørgensen & K H Carlsen

  5. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    P R Njølstad

  6. Department of Paediatrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway

    P R Njølstad

  7. Department of Medical Genetics, Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    H E Akselsen, K Gervin & D E Undlien

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  1. M Bjørnvold
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Correspondence to M Bjørnvold.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on Genes and Immunity website (http://www.nature.com/gene)

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Bjørnvold, M., Munthe-Kaas, M., Egeland, T. et al. A TLR2 polymorphism is associated with type 1 diabetes and allergic asthma. Genes Immun 10, 181–187 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/gene.2008.100

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